JW Jones at The Cove - theHumm March 2025

A gifted guitarist and singer-songwriter who is the epitome of an “old soul” blues man, JW-Jones is an artist who truly engages with his audiences, bringing his warmth and humorous personality to the stage. As the renowned blues man Buddy Guy himself said: “this young man is one of the people who will keep the blues alive”. He will be bringing his incredible band to Westport on Friday, March 21 as part of the Blues at The Cove series, and Cove owner Seamus Cowan caught up with him in advance of the show.

Seamus Cowan: You have a real, pure Chicago Blues guitar sound. Everything is so clean! Who are your true inspirations both on guitar and on the mic?

JW Jones: Thank you for the kind words! All my favourite guitar players have a clean tone. My biggest influences were playing shows and recording before distortion pedals came along. When you are just hearing the hands on the instrument going through an amp, you hear the character of the guitar itself, but you also really hear the character of the player. With less between their ideas and the output, I feel like you are really hearing who they really are. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good distorted Jimi Hendrix solo just like the next guitar geek, and there’s room for everyone to express themselves however they like.

Winning the International Blues Challenge in Memphis for Best Guitarist must have had you flying so high! How did it change things for you?

It was a real honour! There were so many great guitar players there — over 200 from all over the world. I truly don’t think art should ever be a competition. Once you’re at a certain level and expressing yourself in a competent way, I don’t think it’s fair to say one player is better than another. Is Albert King better than T-Bone Walker? Is Aretha Franklin better than Etta James? They’re all amazing and just totally different. But all that said, these things help with the bio, which leads to bookings, which leads to the reason we do this in the first place… bringing the music to the people!

I know you have a connection with the MonkeyJunk boys from Ottawa. Seems there is quite a good music scene right now. How important is it to have a real home base, and do you feel like Ottawa is a good place to grow and develop as a bourgeoning musician? Do you have any advice for up and comers considering all the awards and encouraging words you have received over the year?

I’m so grateful for growing up in Ottawa having a couple of blues clubs and the Ottawa Bluesfest to introduce me to so many of my favourite artists. My advice to up-and-coming musicians is to develop your craft, play the music you love and nothing else, don’t try to make music that fits in, but rather make music that you love. On the business side, you can never stop hustling. It’s a grind, but it’s worth it!

You have accomplished so much, travelled so far, recorded and performed with so many greats. What do you look forward to continuing to develop in your art?

Honestly, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I don’t have any delusions of grandeur or that I will be playing at the Super Bowl in my career. I’m grateful that I can make a living playing the music that I like playing and I’m grateful that I am working with so many of my favourite musicians and producers. It was a major bucket list item to record with Jimmie Vaughan on my latest release. I can’t wait to release some new music in the next year. It’s a good life and I’m a happy guy!

Peter Wood — Painting Is His Anchor - theHumm March 2025

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

If we’re lucky, life provides us with many options. If we’re really lucky, we make the right choices. Dunrobin artist Peter Wood is really lucky. He has managed to wend a circuitous path through many opportunities and emerge unscathed doing what he loves.

Wood’s passion and his gift is to create paintings that bring joy — paintings that stop us in our tracks and remind us that life is worth living despite the existential angst that is currently permeating our lives. ......

JW Jones at The Cove - theHumm March 2025